Drug discovery prompts Folsom motel evacuation

FOLSOM, CA - An early morning police call to the Residence Inn in Folsom Monday resulted in the evacuation of the motel's third floor as a hazard materials team investigated cocaine being cooked in a room.

Sgt. Jason Browning said police were called at 6:20 a.m. to check a report of a guest acting strangely. The man, identified as Christopher Neal, 48, of Folsom, was having difficulty speaking and staying awake and gesturing wildly, said Browning.

Officers went to the third floor room Neal had rented and found Cheri Neal, 49, attempting to hide drug smoking paraphernalia, Browning said. In addition, officers realized something was cooking on the suite's kitchen stove and believed it could be drugs.

Third floor motel guests were evacuated as a Sacramento County Sheriff's Department team that investigates illegal drug labs was called. Browning said the team determined that since the molecular properties of cocaine weren't not being changed by heating it, a charge of manufacture of a controlled substance wasn't warranted.

The Neals were arrested on suspicion of possession of a controlled substance and drug paraphernalia.